Finally, a blog with a name more absurd than Uggabugga! In any event, BBWW has a good rundown on David Brooks latest column that, for the most part, if full of admiration for Bush's "self-confidence". (Also, it turns out that Brooks was one of the ten or so conservative writers invited to the White House last week).

One quote of Bush by Brooks is of interest:

"It’s more of a theological perspective. I do believe there is an Almighty, and I believe a gift of that Almighty to all is freedom. And I will tell you that is a principle that no one can convince me that doesn’t exist."

What is Bush saying? Bush doesn't believe in the kind of freedom from government that you get with Habeas Corpus and other constitutional restraints. Almost surely, when Bush thinks of freedom he is thinking of economic freedom, specifically Laissez-faire, an unregulated market where anybody can do what they want, which also allows for cheats (Enron) and powerful businesses to become monopolies and dictate terms. "Texas freedeom" in other words. The kind of economic philosophy Bush heard when he was gabbing with the rich folks at the Texas golf clubs. The poor are free to be poor. "If only the government would get off my back about pollution controls, I'd be able to expand my business", sort of talk.

It's likely that Bush would consider a country run by a dictator, with low taxes and an unregulated economy, to be freer than a standard-issue western european country (think France).